Missing Scenes From Bad Medicine
by dawn341
Summary: First season story. This story answers the question - what did Richie and Tessa do while Duncan was missing for days?


Missing Scenes From Bad Medicine by Dawn Cunningham

Disclaimers:

Duncan, Richie, and Tessa and all other characters mentioned belong to Rysher. I'm just borrowing them and not getting paid for it. I've also borrowed dialogue directly from the show to fill in known events.

Do not post or publish this story anywhere else, without my express permission. Feel free to share it with others as long as the disclaimers remain intact.

Author's notes:

This story has been brewing in the old brain for a long time. It's the missing scenes from the first season episode Bad Medicine. I've often wondered how Richie and Tessa handled Duncan's disappearance. I've just guessed at how long he was missing based on comments made by characters. My theory is that he was gone for 3 days at a minimum.

* HL * HL * HL * HL * HL * HL

Missing Scenes From Bad Medicine by Dawn Cunningham

Tessa continued sketching as she heard Richie walk over to stand beside her. When he spoke, she turned to look at him.

"Where's the lord and master?" the young man asked, waving around a breadstick.

She playfully grabbed the breadstick as she replied, "Late." The look on Richie's face as she took a bite was priceless.

"So, he's not perfect after all."

Tessa just shrugged and smiled at the teenager. Despite anything he might claim to the contrary, he wouldn't starve if dinner wasn't served on time. Duncan would be back soon-he'd wanted to cook Italian, but hadn't had the ingredients he needed. It would be worth the wait.

An hour later, Tessa really began to worry. She stood in the kitchen staring at the phone, while Richie paced around.

"Why doesn't he call?" she finally blurted out.

"He probably got hung up someplace without a phone," Richie replied, although he didn't sound too convinced himself. "Maybe he ran into somebody," he offered next.

"Like another Immortal," Tessa said, unable to hide her fears.

"Tess... He can take care of himself."

The Frenchwoman looked away. How would he know? Two times he'd seen Duncan fight another Immortal and suddenly he's the expert on how good the Scot was in a sword fight? She'd seen Duncan fight another Immortal, too. For a while, she hadn't been too certain he would beat Caleb. What if he'd run into an Immortal who was better than he was?

Richie must have sensed her disbelief and made a disgusted noise before walking away, shaking his head. He returned later and started making himself a sandwich.

"You want me to make you a sandwich, too?" he asked.

Tessa shook her head. "Thanks, Richie, but I couldn't eat a bite. I'm too worried about Duncan."

Richie paused in his efforts and looked down at the table, indecision written across his face.

Tessa smiled briefly and lightly touched Richie's shoulder. "Go ahead and eat, Richie. I don't mind."

"I'm worried about him, too, you know?" Richie replied, looking at her with anxious eyes. "What if he doesn't come back?"

Tessa didn't answer him, turning her back to the teenager so she wouldn't have to see her worry reflected back in his eyes. That same awful question kept running through her head, too.

Richie sighed and finished making his sandwich. He'd been through this scene before at several of his foster homes. The long waits for the phone to ring or the husband to finally come home. Not because of Immortals-at least he didn't think so. One time had been because of a car accident. The police had finally come to let them know that he wouldn't be returning. Most of the time, other women were involved-or the husband had decided he'd had enough and just walked out.

The teenager shook his head. No way would Duncan be involved with another woman. Not when he had Tessa-the Immortal wasn't stupid! While Richie didn't have much to base his judgment on, he was pretty certain Tessa and Duncan were madly in love with each other. Still, a cynical voice inside him said it could all be an act. The Highlander was 400 years old-he'd probably had lots of practice at keeping secrets.

Richie sighed again. It was time for him to start looking out for number one. If Duncan didn't come home, he really doubted Tessa would let him continue living there. She'd probably sell the place and be on the first flight back to Paris. And he'd be back on the streets again. He should start making inquiries-see if he could hook up with some old friends. Look around for a cheap place to live.

But then Tessa turned around again and Richie saw the glitter of unshed tears in her worry-filled eyes. He couldn't desert her now. It wouldn't be right. And if Duncan had bought the farm, maybe he'd see that Richie had stuck by Tessa and put in a good word for the teenager with the Big Guy up there.

He could use all the help he could get in that department!

* HL * HL *

Tessa aimlessly looked through some papers on Duncan's desk. She hadn't slept much at all last night, worrying about where her lover was. Richie had stayed by her side until she finally sent him to bed around 2:00. He had refused at first, but she had convinced him by claiming she would lie down herself for a while. He'd waited until she'd stretched out on the couch and then covered her with an afghan, before heading to his own room. She had managed a little sleep, but every noise would bring her upright, hoping it was Duncan coming home. She'd finally gotten up around 5:00, showered and changed her clothes.

Richie had emerged from his room about thirty minutes earlier. He didn't look like he'd gotten much sleep either. Right now, he was in the kitchen eating breakfast. She'd managed a piece of toast and several cups of coffee, but that was it.

The sound of the front door opening sent her hurrying toward the store. "Duncan?" she called out, hopefully. She couldn't hide her disappointment when she saw who it was.

"Hi. You remember me? Randi McFarland?" the blond reporter asked.

"Yes," Tessa replied shortly. She didn't need this right now. "What can I do for you?"

"I just came by to see how Mr. MacLeod was doing-see, I'm doing a story on the city's accident victims..."

"Accident? What accident?" Tessa interrupted her, as a heavy lump settled in her stomach.

"He didn't tell you... uh... about last night?" Randi asked.

"No. No, he never even came home..." As soon as the words were out, Tessa couldn't believe she'd actually said them-especially to a reporter. "What happened?" she added quickly, hoping to get more information.

"Well, there was this accident-a hit-and-run-and he was taken to City Hospital..."

An accident? Duncan in an accident? How badly had he been hurt? Maybe that's why he didn't come home. Tessa's only thought was to get to the hospital. She was halfway through her workshop when she realized she'd left the reporter just standing there in the middle of the antique store. Spinning around, she went back to the store, just in time to see Randi leaving. Thank goodness, the reporter hadn't decided to hang around! Turning around again, Tessa hurried back to the apartment to fetch her car keys. Richie was just rinsing his cereal bowl out as she entered the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Randi McFarland was just here. She said Duncan was involved in a hit-and-run accident last night and taken to City Hospital. I'm going to go over there and see what else I can find out."

"Let's go," Richie replied, wiping his wet hands on his jeans.

Tessa didn't bother to remind him what towels were for. She was too grateful he was willing to come along.

* HL * HL * HL

Tessa impatiently tapped her fingers on the counter at the nurse's station. So far she'd been to three different departments in the hospital trying to get information. She'd finally gotten the name of the doctor who had treated Duncan and was waiting for him to show up.

She saw a man dressed in a white coat come through the door and hurried over to face him. Richie joined her immediately.

"Dr. Wilder?" she asked, ready to start yelling if the answer was no.

"Ah... yes... you're looking for me?" The doctor looked a little startled at the idea.

"Yes... well, actually we're looking for someone you saw last night-Duncan MacLeod?"

"MacLeod?" The man put fingers to his lips as he apparently searched his memory. "Yes... I saw Mr. MacLeod last evening," he finally admitted.

"Was he hurt?" Tessa asked.

"Well, actually we're not really sure... you see when a patient checks himself out of the hospital... um... we have no choice but to discharge him."

"Has anyone else come looking for him?"

The doctor shook his head. "No. Will you please excuse me?"

Without waiting for an answer, he walked away. Tessa and Richie exchanged concerned glances.

"If he was here, something pretty nasty must have gone down. He's not exactly the accident-prone type," Richie said.

"But if he left... Where is he?" None of this made any sense. If Duncan had been a victim of a hit-and-run, he must have healed and left the hospital on his own. So why didn't he come home last night?

Tessa knew Duncan wouldn't have been at his best following something major like a car accident. It had taken him a while to recuperate after his fight with Caleb. What if the driver of the car had been another Immortal and had been waiting for him to leave the hospital? The Scot wouldn't have stood a chance.

Her fears growing by the minute, Tessa headed out to her car, a silent Richie by her side. She let the teenager drive, knowing she wouldn't be able to keep her mind on the task. She didn't pay any attention to their whereabouts until she saw Richie pull up beside a police station.

"Richie, why did you stop here?" Tessa asked.

"We need to file a missing person's report," he replied.

"We can't do that," Tessa said, horror filling her voice. "Duncan always tries to stay away from the police!"

"I know, Tessa, but I'm thinking about you here. If..." he paused for a moment and visibly swallowed. "If they find his body, it will look very odd if we haven't reported him missing. They might even think you had something to do with it. I don't want you to have that to deal with, as well." He awkwardly patted her shoulder. "Not that I think he's dead," he added.

Tessa fought back tears at his obvious concern for her. "Thank you, Richie. You're right. Let's go."

* HL * HL * HL

Richie carefully stirred the chicken noodle soup he was reheating. Tessa was going to eat something-even if he had to force feed her. She'd been livid after their trip to the police. Being told they couldn't file a report until Duncan had been missing for 48 hours had really set her off and she'd complained the entire way home about the American justice system. He didn't really blame her-he felt the same way about it.

Deciding the soup was hot enough, he ladled out a bowlful and gingerly carried it to the table. "Here, Tessa. I made this for you."

Tessa took one look at it and pushed it away. "I'm not hungry."

Richie pushed it right back. "Eat! I'm not going to take the blame if you get sick because you didn't eat! You need to keep up your strength for when Mac gets home. Why, knowing the two of you, you won't come out of your bedroom for at least two days, so you'd better eat now, while you can." Richie grinned at her, hoping the teasing would cheer her up.

It must have worked because a slight smile crossed her face and she picked up her spoon.

"Okay, let's get down to business here," Richie continued. "Does Mac have anyone else here in Seacouver who he would turn to if he was in trouble?"

Tessa thought about it for a while as she kept eating her lunch. "No one I can think of. He hasn't told anyone else he's immortal. Besides, why would he have gone to someone else instead of us."

"Think about it, Tessa. Mac is really big on protecting you-isn't he?" He waited for her to nod before continuing. "If he was in some kind of trouble-if someone was chasing him-this is the last place he'd come to. He wouldn't risk you that way," he stated adamantly.

"Or you, either," Tessa reminded him with a smile.

Richie felt a warm flush climb through his body at the thought of Duncan trying to protect him just like he did Tessa. "Maybe," he replied, striving for an offhand attitude. "What about Sir Lancelot? Would Mac have called him if he was in trouble?"

"Sir Lancelot?" Tessa asked, confusion written across her face.

"Yeah-that other dude who was here that night I broke in. He must have been a good friend because he and Mac looked like they were having fun when they were sword-fighting in the warehouse."

"Oh, you must mean Connor." A hopeful expression crossed her face. "Yes, maybe he would have called Connor." She jumped to her feet and hurried out to the office.

Richie followed along and listened to her side of the conversation.

"Connor?... It's Tessa. I hate to bother you, but have you heard from Duncan in the past 24 hours?... He's disappeared... No, he didn't say anything about another Immortal being around. He went out to buy some groceries and never came home. They told me he was in a hit-and-run car accident, but left the hospital on his own. I don't know why he hasn't shown up since. I thought maybe he might have contacted you... No, you don't need to do that, Connor. Richie is here with me so I'm not alone. And it will be easier for Duncan to find you if he needs you... Yes, I will, Connor. Good-bye." She hung up the phone.

"No luck, hmmm?"

Tessa shook her head. "He offered to come out here and stay with us but, at this point, it's probably better that he doesn't."

"Okay. So, where else would Mac go?"

"Well, he might have gone to his island. He did that the last time."

"That's a good idea. Maybe we should go check it out."

"No. I'll go, Richie. Someone needs to stay here in case Duncan tries to call. I know how to get there and can be back before nightfall."

"I don't know, Tessa. I don't like the idea of you going by yourself. What if someone is following Mac around? You'd just be walking right into it. Isn't there someone you could call up there?"

"Well, I suppose I could try Mr. Peasley. He runs the general store in the closest town. Duncan would have had to go right by the place."

"Give him a call, then," Richie urged.

The teenager was just as disappointed as Tessa when that call was over. The only hope was that Mr. Peasley had offered to drive out and see if Duncan's canoe was still in its normal spot. He promised to call back within the hour, but Richie had a feeling it would be a waste of time.

"Okay, Tessa, I'm going to go out and talk to some people. See what I can find out. I know some people who know just about everything that happens in this town." He couldn't think of anything else to do.

"Be careful, Richie," Tessa warned. "Don't do anything stupid or dangerous, do you hear me?"

"Who me? I wouldn't think of it," he replied with a big grin.

"That's usually the problem," Tessa almost moaned. "You don't think!"

Richie gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be careful."

* HL * HL *

After four hours of fruitless wandering through town, Richie finally returned to the antique store. He'd talked to everyone he could think of and nobody had seen the Highlander or the T-bird. Considering the worth of the car, he had been surprised about the latter.

Tessa came rushing out of the office when he opened the front door. He shook his head and saw the hope fade away on her face.

"I talked to everyone I could think of, Tessa," Richie explained. "Um... I offered a $100 reward for anyone who finds the T-bird, too. I'll pay it though-you won't have to."

"I think I can manage to pay that," Tessa said. "In fact, I'd pay a lot more..."

Richie shook his head. "You don't want to offer too much-they'd think it was a setup. I know how these people think."

"You used to be one of them, didn't you?" Tessa asked. "Before you came to live here."

Richie looked down at his feet. "Yeah. I used to be just like them. I'll probably end up just like them sooner or later."

Tessa looked shocked. "Why do you say that, Richie? You don't live on the streets anymore."

For a moment, the teenager debated letting the subject drop, but finally decided not to. "Listen, Tessa, I know the score. If Mac doesn't come home, you won't want me around anymore."

Tessa moved closer to him and gripped his chin in her hand, raising his head so she could look directly into his eyes. "Don't even think that, Richie. You are my friend and this is your home, too. I'm not about to kick you out. Whatever happens, it happens to both of us. We're in this together and... and should the worse happen, we'll figure out what to do together. Do you understand?"

Richie studied her face intently, wanting to believe her, but not sure if he should. Finally, he nodded his head. "Okay. But if you ever want me to leave... just say the word. I won't blame you or make a fuss."

"Enough, Richie! I don't want to hear another word about you leaving. This is your home and that's final!"

"Okay, Tessa. I won't say anything else about it. So, what do we do now?" Richie asked as he headed for the apartment.

"We go back to our regular routine," Tessa announced. "Tomorrow, we'll open the store up again."

"You must be kidding! How can you even think about running the store when Mac's missing?"

"It will give us something to do, Richie. Otherwise, we'll both go crazy if we just sit around, waiting for Duncan to come home. And I refuse to believe that he won't!"

"Okay, you're the boss."

"And don't you forget it," Tessa said, smiling gently. She reached out and tweaked his chin.

* HL * HL *

Tessa appeared determined to return to a normal schedule, starting with dinner. She busied herself in the kitchen, making a casserole-the first time she'd cooked since Duncan disappeared.

Richie kept up a stream of chatter as they ate, determined not to let Tessa brood. Each time he coaxed a smile from her, he scored a mental point. He'd racked up a pretty impressive tally by bedtime. The teenager insisted on checking all the doors and making sure the security system was turned on. Normally, this task fell to Duncan, but since he wasn't here, Richie assumed the duty.

His final step was to escort Tessa to her bedroom, telling her to sleep well, and kissing her cheek lightly. He then headed to his own room.

* HL * HL *

Richie had no idea what woke him up, but decided he'd better check out the place just to make sure nothing was wrong. A quick glance at the clock showed it was 1:34. Moving as quietly as he could, he slipped into a pair of sweat pants, opened his bedroom door and headed into the living room.

Not seeing anything there, he headed for Tessa's workshop, but a small noise sent him spinning around. He could just barely make out a form huddled on the couch.

"Tessa? Is that you?" he asked, hesitantly.

"I'm sorry, Richie. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"Is something wrong? Why aren't you in bed?"

"I... I couldn't sleep. The bed seemed so... empty. Oh, Richie, what am I going to do if he doesn't come home!" Tessa wailed, before bursting into tears.

For a moment Richie panicked, not knowing what to do or say. Tessa's sobs seemed to increase and he hurried over to sit by her side. "Everything's going to work out, Tessa. I know it will."

She shook her head and kept sobbing.

Without thinking, Richie wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He kept repeating, "It's going to be all right, Tessa," over and over, while rocking gently back and forth.

Finally, the sobs eased off, but Richie kept his arms around her. He didn't say anything more, just held her tight. He had no idea how long they sat like that until he realized Tessa had fallen asleep. Knowing how much she needed it, he refused to disturb her. Moving very slowly, he pulled the afghan off the back of the couch and carefully tucked it in around the two of them.

Giving silent thanks that he'd worn a T-shirt to bed, Richie settled Tessa into a more comfortable position against his chest. Somehow, having that thin material separating the two of them made this seem less embarrassing.

His last thought before falling asleep was to hope Duncan didn't choose tonight to come home. Richie didn't want to even think about how he would explain having Tessa fall asleep in his arms!

* HL * HL *

Tessa slowly came awake, feeling arms wrapped around her and hearing a heartbeat echoing in her ear. "Duncan," she murmured lightly.

"Ummm... not exactly."

It wasn't the voice she was expecting and Tessa bolted upright. "Richie! What...? Oh, no!," she said as memory returned. "I'm so sorry, Richie. I didn't mean to fall asleep! You should have woke me up!"

"Hey, no problem. Besides, I've always had this fantasy about waking up with a beautiful, sexy, Frenchwoman in my arms," Richie quipped with a lopsided grin. "Although, in my fantasy, she was saying my name!"

Tessa giggled. "Sorry about that. I'll try harder to remember whose arms I fall asleep in next time."

"You should do that. I don't want Mac coming after me with a sword if you wake up some morning and call him Richie."

"Hmmm... Maybe I should try that just to see what happens." Tessa struggled to keep a straight face. It was worth it to see the shocked look on the teenager's face.

"Tessa! You wouldn't! Mac will chop me up in little pieces!"

Tessa laughed outright. "Don't worry, I wouldn't do that to you." Turning serious, she added, "I don't know what I would have done without you, Richie. I think you're the only reason I'm still sane. Just the thought of having to wait until tonight before we can talk to the police again... Sometimes, I just want to scream."

"Go ahead and scream, Tessa. Just give me fair warning so I can cover my ears." Stretching his arms out, he gave a big yawn before checking his watch. "Wow! It's almost 8:30! I guess we both needed the sleep."

"Yes, we did. I feel so much better now-thanks to you. However, we need to get going if we're going to open the antique store on time."

"Yes, boss!" Richie said, giving her a mock salute.

* HL * HL *

Several times during the day, Tessa almost did scream. Several regular customers asked where Duncan was. The first time, she just stood there, tongue-tied, not knowing what to say.

Richie came to her rescue. "Mac is away on a business trip," he assured the customer.

Once the woman had left, Tessa turned to the teenager. "Why did you lie to her, Richie?"

"Because, it wasn't any of her business. She's one of the biggest gossips! I've heard some of the things she says when she's in here with her friends. We don't have to tell anyone Mac is missing."

"Well... I guess you're right. Thanks for rescuing me, Richie."

"All part of the job," Richie replied, grinning broadly.

Every time the phone rang, Tessa's heart leapt into her throat, almost choking her. At first, she let the teenager handle the calls, but eventually she managed to answer them herself. Slowly, it began to feel as if Duncan was truly away on a business trip. Tessa couldn't decide if that was good or bad.

They discussed their next move over dinner, and finally decided to go back to the police station to file the missing person's report. They had been politely told that coming back the next day would be much better. Over her protests, Richie had dragged Tessa out of the station.

Back home, Tessa retreated to her workshop. She sat in front of an easel and started drawing. Richie came in several times, but she just ignored him and kept working.

"Tessa! It's almost 11:00. Don't you think it's time to quit?"

Startled, the Frenchwoman checked her watch. "I'm sorry, Richie. I didn't realize how late it was." She stood back and took a good look at her drawing. With a sinking feeling she realized it was one of the darkest things she'd ever done-and the most powerful. "What do you think, Richie?"

For a moment, she thought the teenager might bolt, but he stood his ground. "Ummm... I'm not an art critic," he replied.

"I'm not looking for a critic," Tessa complained. "Just an opinion."

"Well... it bothers me... I don't know how else to explain it. It's not like your usual stuff."

"No, it's not. Now, it's time for bed."

"Do you want to sleep together again tonight?" Richie asked with a cocky grin.

"No. I think I can manage on my own tonight, but thank you for offering." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Good night, Richie."

* HL * HL *

Richie trailed after Tessa and Sergeant Harold as they hurried down a hallway at the police station. He knew the Frenchwoman was really ticked off, but he couldn't blame her. They'd been here for over an hour already and weren't getting any answers.

"I told you, lady, nothing strange in the way of a homicide's been reported-I mean, maybe he just took a business trip-forgot to tell you..." Sergeant Harold said as he walked over to his desk.

"Oh, give me a break... Are you nuts?" Richie muttered, wondering if having a low IQ was a requirement for being a cop.

"Listen, Sergeant Harold," Tessa said in a cold voice, "first your people told me I had to wait 48 hours before I could file a missing person's report..."

"That's the law," the sergeant interrupted.

"Then they said I should come back."

"I wish I had something to tell you."

"So do we," Richie chimed in.

"A man doesn't disappear without a trace!" Tessa yelled.

"Look, Miss Noel, we get a couple of these things a week in here... I mean we spend more time trying to track these guys down than you can imagine and you know what-when we find them they usually don't want to be found."

"What are you saying?" Tessa's voice dripped icicles.

"Look, you are a beautiful woman and a guy would have to be crazy, but men are men-these things happen!"

"Let's go," Tessa said to Richie.

Richie glared at the officer for a moment before following Tessa. He really wanted to smash in that smug bastard's face for telling Tessa that. Of course, he'd had the same thought that first night, but at least he'd kept it to himself!

* HL * HL *

The rest of the day went pretty much the same as the day before. Richie tended the antique store, usually with Tessa's help. Occasionally, she disappeared into her workshop, but she never stayed there for long.

The teenager was beginning to lose hope. Surely Duncan would have come home by now if he had still been alive. Then again, if another Immortal had killed him, wouldn't the T-bird have been discovered somewhere?

The not knowing was the worst of it. It would be easier to handle if he knew that Duncan was definitely dead. Richie wondered how long Tessa would wait before finally accepting that Duncan wouldn't be back. A week? A month? A year? It was hard to imagine living in this kind of limbo for another year.

One thing was certain, he wasn't going to be the one to tell Tessa it was time to give up. If she wanted to keep pretending Duncan would be coming home, he'd indulge her-even if she waited fifty years!

Richie frowned as he thought about that. Maybe it would be kinder if he convinced her to give up hope. Tell her to move on with her life. Oh, not yet, but maybe in another week. Yes, that would be for the best. Tessa deserved more than living the rest of her life alone.

After dinner, Richie hit the streets again. It was late before he got back home and he still hadn't found anything else out.

* HL * HL *

Tessa came out of the office when Richie called her name. When she spotted Sergeant Harold standing in the antique store, her first thought was that Duncan's body had finally been found. She felt a wave of sadness flow through her.

Instead, the sergeant told her about another body found down by the pier-a nurse from the hospital where Duncan had been taken. Then he dropped the bombshell that he thought Duncan had been there. As he talked, the sergeant picked up an antique vase and inspected it.

"The pier-you think he was there?" Tessa asked as she took the vase away from the sergeant.

"Witnesses saw his car speeding away from the scene," the man replied.

"Then he's alive!" Tessa's heart started beating madly.

"Yeah," Richie interrupted, "but this murder down by the bridge-they think Duncan did it!"

"Bright boy," the sergeant muttered sarcastically.

Tessa hadn't realized just what the sergeant had been implying, but Richie's comment had made it quite clear. "This is insane! Duncan didn't kill anyone!" she protested.

"Look, he phones, I want to know-got it?" Sergeant Harold turned and left the shop.

Tessa peered out the window and saw him climb into a car across the street with another man in the driver's seat. She waited for several moments for them to drive away, but they didn't even make an attempt to start the engine.

"They're still out there," she said to Richie.

The teenager moved to her side. "Figures. They probably think we've been lying about Mac being missing. We'll be followed everywhere we go. If Mac does come home, they'll arrest him for murder!"

"They can't do that-can they?" Tessa turned worried eyes to the young man. What else could go wrong?

"They can do anything they want," Richie muttered. "You just can't trust cops."

Tessa decided to ignore Richie's comment. "Let's get back to work," she said, instead. "I want to rearrange some of the displays."

Richie groaned, but followed her instructions.

An hour later, Tessa placed the antique she was carrying into a display cabinet before answering the phone. "MacLeod and Noel antiques."

"Will you accept a collect call from Duncan?"

A surge of relief flooded through Tessa. Duncan was alive! "Yes... yes, I will," she said, clutching the phone tightly.

"Go ahead party," the operator said.

Tessa couldn't wait. "Duncan? Is that you?" she asked anxiously.

"Yeah... yeah it's me," a familiar, if slightly disjointed, voice replied.

"Are you all right?" Tessa asked. "Where have you been?"

"I'm not really...sure."

Tessa didn't like the sound of his voice. It almost sounded like he was half-asleep, or maybe drugged. She had to get to him as soon as possible. "Where are you now?" she asked, looking up into Richie's questioning face as he came over to stand by her.

"Uh... the harbor... near Silver Strand."

"Okay... Okay, there is a little cafe there... uh... I'll be right there... and stay hidden," she warned.

"Why?"

"You're wanted for murder," Tessa explained.

"What?" came the shocked reply.

"You're wanted for murder," Tessa repeated. She waited for a reply, but only silence greeted her. "Hello? Duncan?" She finally shut off the phone and turned to Richie. "I've got to go get him. Richie, help me!"

"I'll take care of it," the young man assured her, heading for her workshop.

Tessa followed him, then decided to go change her clothes. When she came back out, Richie moved away from the workbench, holding a piece of twisted metal.

"What's that for?" she asked.

"Trust me," Richie replied. "Go wait by the front door. When I give you the signal, go ahead and take off. The cops shouldn't be able to follow you, but keep your eyes open. If it looks like someone is tailing you, go around the block-that way you'll know for sure."

"Thank you, Richie." She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Just find out what happened, Tessa. Make sure he's okay. And call me before you come home to make sure the cops aren't still here."

"All right," Tessa replied before heading to the front door.

Five minutes passed and the Frenchwoman still hadn't seen any sign of Richie. She should have insisted on knowing what he intended to do. Suddenly, she saw him crawling along on his hands and knees toward the car holding the two police officers. He disappeared for a moment on the far side of the car, emerging again in a very short time. He crawled back to the opposite side of the street before waving at her.

Feeling her heart pounding, Tessa emerged from the antique store. She kept her eyes on her car as she crossed over to where it was parked. It wasn't until she was climbing into it that she glanced at the other car. She quickly looked away, started up her car and pulled out.

Tessa kept glancing in the rear view mirror, but the car didn't follow. Even though she felt relatively safe, she did circle several times before heading for the harbor. Soon, she was parking outside the cafe. She quickly climbed out of the car and hurried up the sidewalk. Once inside the cafe, she almost instantly spotted Duncan.

Heart pounding again, this time in joy, she wanted to run to his side. Instead, she kept to a brisk walk, not wanting to call attention to him. Reaching his side, she said, "You're alive," almost finding it hard to believe even though he was sitting there in front of her.

She kissed him, brushing his loose hair back from his face before sitting down. The nightmare was over... or maybe it was just starting. There was still the matter of the murdered nurse to overcome, but it seemed to pale in comparison to the overwhelming relief that Duncan was alive. Together, they would figure it out.

Epilogue.

"All because I was going to cook Italian," Duncan said, as they walked among the police cars scattered around Dr. Wilder's home, headed toward Tessa's car.

"You have a long memory," Tessa commented.

"Yeah, I have to," Duncan replied, thinking of the long years he had lived. He paused for a moment, pulling Tessa back to look directly into her face. He brushed back a strand of her hair, kissed her gently, then smiled, before continuing on. He helped his lover into the passenger seat before walking around and climbing behind the wheel. In no time, he was busy negotiating the streets leading to home.

Tessa reached over and placed a hand on his thigh, squeezing it gently. He glanced over and saw her watching him. "What?" he asked.

"Just checking," Tessa replied. "I want to make sure I'm not dreaming. It's been awful the last few days, not knowing where you were or if you were alive or dead."

Duncan picked up her hand, brought it to his mouth and kissed it gently. "I'm sorry, Tessa. I know how difficult this must have been for you."

"It's over now. That's all that is important. Fortunately, I wasn't alone-otherwise I think I would have fallen apart."

"Oh?" Duncan shot a questioning look at the Frenchwoman.

"Richie was wonderful through all of this. I don't know what I would have done without him." Tessa went on to tell Duncan about the missing days and the support she'd received from the teenager.

Soon, he had parked the car in the alley behind the antique store and they went inside. They found Richie in the living room, watching television.

"You're back!" the teenager said with a bright grin of welcome. "It's about time. Tessa's been a real slave-driver-work, work, work. I could really have used some help around here."

"Good to see you, too, Richie," Duncan said, not buying into the teenager's act. From what Tessa had told him, he knew Richie had been worried about his disappearance, too.

Tessa pulled him gently toward the hall leading to their bedroom. He smiled at her and lightly squeezed her hand before releasing her. "Go on, Tessa. I'll be there in a minute," he promised.

The Frenchwoman smiled and blew him a kiss before disappearing down the hallway. Duncan turned back to the young man.

"Richie, I just wanted to say thank you. Tessa told me how much you helped her the last few days."

Richie's face turned red. "I didn't do anything special," he muttered, looking down at his feet.

"Yes, you did," Duncan corrected him. "You stood by her. You looked after her when I couldn't do it. I want you to understand how important that is-not only to Tessa, but to me, as well. It helps to know that if anything ever did happen to me, she wouldn't have to face it alone. It's something I've always worried about."

Richie looked up, an earnest expression on his face. "You can count on me, Mac," he promised.

"I know I can," Duncan replied before turning away. He paused, and turned once again to pull the startled young man into a bear hug. "Thank you, Richie," he whispered before releasing him.

Without another word, Duncan walked away, headed for his bedroom and another homecoming that he knew was waiting for him there.

The end


End file.
